This invention relates to a pelvic splitter device and method of use thereof used primarily to break the pelvis of large game animals such as deer to facilitate the cleaning and gutting of such animals without puncturing the bladders and urethras of such animals which would expose the meat of the animals to their fecal waste.
Hunters of large game animals have typically used knives of various lengths and sizes to gut and clean their game. However, while they have done so, often the hunters have accidentally punctured the bladders and urethras of their game thus effecting drainage of the fecal waste from the bladders which have contaminated the meat of the game. The prior art does not describe tools or instruments capable of being safely and conveniently carried by the users for gutting and cleaning large game animals and without puncturing the bladders and urethras of such animals.
One known prior art is a VETERINARY SURGICAL TOOL FOR ENLARGING THE PELVIC GIRDLE OF A HEIFER DURING PARTURITION, U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,393, comprising an elongated shank having a hook-shaped section at a forward end and an abutment flange at a rearward end and further comprising a slidable impact weight mounted about the shaft, the hook-shaped section of the shaft including a rearwardly facing, angularly projecting knife edge and a forwardly projecting blunt point.
Another known prior art is an EVISCERATING AND SURVIVAL TOOL, U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,751, comprising a shaft with a handle at one end, a claw-like hook at the other end, the hook being comprised of at least two arcuately shaped tines defining a slot, and a saw blade disposed longitudinally along a portion of the shaft near the end containing the hook.
Another known prior art is a METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SEPARATING SKELETON PARTS FROM A CARCASS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,963, comprising a conveyor, a first meat hook provided on an overhead conveyor for transporting the carcass, a second meat hook attached to a part of the carcass to be separated, and an arm for pressing the carcass in the moving direction of the conveyor away from the second meat hook for separating the carcass.
Another known prior art is an EVISCERATING AND SURVIVAL TOOL, U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,080, comprising a shaft with a handle at one end, a claw-like hook at the other end, the hook being comprised of at least two arcuately shaped tines defining a slot, and a saw blade disposed longitudinally along the portion of the shaft near the end containing the hook.
Of the prior art described herein, only the VETERINARY SURGICAL TOOL is designed to effectively section the pelvic girdle of an animal. However, because of the elongate shaft and the exposed hook-shaped end and knife, the VETERINARY SURGICAL TOOL would not be an effective tool for the hunter who would probably carry the tool on hunting trips because the hunter could cut or injury himself if the tool is being carried on his person. There is a definite need for a pelvic splitter which can be safely and conveniently carried by the hunter to clean and gut large game animals such as deer.